Etymologically
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offero

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Pronunciation

  • IPA (Classical): [ˈɔf.fɛ.roː][1]
  • IPA (Ecclesiastical): [ˈɔf.fe.ro][1]

Forms

offerō (present infinitive offerre, perfect active obtulī, supine oblātum); third conjugation, suppletive[1] It is also spelled obferō; the perfect is obtulī or optulī and the participle oblātus.[2]

Etymology

It is from ob- “towards, in the way of” and ferō “to carry”.[2][1][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The OLD's earliest citation is from Pacuvius, of chance putting something in a person's way.[2] Köbler dates Pacuvius 220–130 BC.[4]

Semantic evolution

It meant to put in someone's path, as chance did in Terence's fors obtulerat adventum meum “chance had brought my arrival”, and in Plautus to expose oneself to danger.[2][5] In Accius it meant to show, reveal, and reflexively to appear, and in Cicero to bring to someone's attention.[2] From Plautus it meant to provide help and to cause something unpleasant, in Gaius to hand over, in Ovid to hold out, and in Livy to offer; in Cicero sē offerre meant to volunteer.[2]

In Ecclesiastical Latin it meant to offer, present, and to consecrate to God.[6] It was borrowed into Old English as ofrian, “to bring forward”, also “to sacrifice”, whence English offer, and its noun oblātiō gave English oblation about 1400.[3]

Timeline

  • 220–130 BC – Pacuvius uses it of chance encounters.[2][4]
  • c. 250–184 BC – Plautus uses it of exposing oneself.[2][4]
  • 59 BC–17 AD – Livy uses it of offering help.[2][4]
  • c. 1400 – English oblation is recorded.[3]

Meanings

Verb

  1. To put in someone's way; to expose (oneself).[2]
  2. To show; reflexively, to appear.[2]
  3. To bring to someone's attention.[2]
  4. To provide; to cause (something unpleasant).[2]
  5. To hand over; to hold out.[2]
  6. To offer; reflexively, to volunteer.[2]
  7. (Ecclesiastical Latin) To consecrate to God.[6]

Word family

  • oblātīcius
  • oblātiō
  • oblātīvus
  • oblātor
  • offerentia
  • offertor
  • offertōrium
  • oblātus
  • offerumenta

References

  1. ^ a b c d Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Glare, P. G. W., ed. (2012), Oxford Latin Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Köbler, Gerhard (2010), Lateinisches Abkunfts- und Wirkungswörterbuch für Altertum und Mittelalter, online ed., koeblergerhard.de
  5. ^ Lewis, Charlton T.; Short, Charles (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  6. ^ a b Stelten, Leo F. (1995), Dictionary of Ecclesiastical Latin, Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson